Been a bit quiet here

[sainter]

Perhaps we are finally soaking in what the club has achieved coach and player wise over the past few months.

With our preseason starting yesterday and all the new players decked out in the red, white and black for the first time, it has really hit home with me that all of these players and Blighty are actually fully fledged saints.

Who knows what will happen next year?

'Let's just go along with the ride'

 

[StrengthThroughLoyalty]

Reality bites, super coach has arrived, new 'gun' recruits have started training in the red white and back, old squad rejuvinated and enjoying the hype, supporters still jubilant about the changes.

Blight now has the job of making this squad of blokes a team. How long will that take? How many wins can we really expect next year? Can the momentum created in the off season continue on the field? Will a miracle happen??

Who knows, I just hope we get a heap of paid up members who come along for the ride.

 

[sainter]

Still quiet.

Just thought I would revive these boards.

Apparently Stevie Lawrence and Justin Koschitzke are the only players who are on a restricted pre-season program.

Jason Cripps is training very strongly which is as good a news to me as recruiting Malcolm Blight.

Obviously one of our three pre-season draft choices is Brett Voss. It will be interesting to see what we do with the other two selections. No delisted players are training with us which I find a little surprising, especially considering there are delisted players training with clubs who have no selections.

A lot of people at the forum seem to think that one or both of Steven Milne and Mark Wittison will be promoted. I hope this is the case.

What do the rest of you think we are going to do our three pre-season draft selections?

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Fortius Quo Fidelius

 

[Savatage]

Take Brett Voss #1 & no further picks......


That's what I believe anyway, then we can promote one or two of our promising rookies without delisting anybody (if their form warrants it of course) & don't forget, more exciting than the pre seasond draft : We have first pick of the rookie draft....I believe this is more important than recyled players in the pre season draft.

Will be interesting if Tony Brown gets picked up.....and by who.

 

[karnaby]

I feel a bit funny at the prospect of starting the season with less than a full playing list. Ideally I'd like to fill at least one position after Voss, having put that case I spose I'd better look at the options:

1. How many spare $s are there within the salary cap?
2. I believe our second pick would be #10 or 11 roughly
3. Who might be available?
4. If it is to be a young untried player
.....a. Why weren't they picked up in the main draft?
b. What is it about them that justifies them being paid roughly double the income that a rookie would earn? Also given that Milne & Wittison are already on the rookie list this player should be measurably better than them.
5. Virtually none of the delisted players seem very appealing. Some of the Doggie supporters on here were a bit pissed off that one player got delisted, apart from that nameless gent I can't think of anybody suitable.
6. The club has seemingly not invited anybody to train with them, therefore it is aesy to draw the conclusion that they weren't too interested in anyone.

Well that leaves me the task of drawing a name or two out of my......hat, so here goes:
James(?) Gowans, the one who played well in Central Districts GF win
Tony Brown on a greatly reduced contract

Having written all that I've about convinced myself that there'll be two vacant spots on our playing list

 

[Savatage]

Just a quick sidenote: apparantely Lawrence is now in full training mode leaving just Koschitzke (and Schwarze appararently) the only ones to my knowledge not in full training.

Apparantely Schwarze's leg was in plaster?

 

[Fred]

Would love to put up something that is both witty and informative. Can't think of anything though.
One thing - I reckon I might hold some sort of record. It is at least 25 years since I was at a Saints win. I've only been to 1 game in that time and Hawthorn thrashed us at Waverley. Didn't like the ground either.

 

[karnaby]

Fred
I wonder if the prospect of a big improvement might tempt you back again? I gather from reading others comments that Colonial is a pretty good place to watch footy.

Like yourself, Waverly wasn't my favourite ground, Moorabbin is definately my spiritual home.

Well can't get close to your 'record', but to the best of my recollection, ie pretty dodgy, I think I've only seen three live wins in the 17yrs that I've been in WA.

After years of watching losses to the Eagles & missing 97 (GRRR), I finally broke my duck in 98 with that great come from behind win.

I've also been lucky enough to see a couple of wins against Collingwood. The first was 84 - 87, maybe the last game of the season, & Plugger kicked double figures at Moorabbin. The other was the 93 QF? but that was sadly tempered watching the Doggies win the following week.

Well between the two of us we've got a pretty crap record mate. Probably time we resolved to improve the win loss ratio a bit ...

...

Witty and informative doesn't seem a prerequisite here Fred. A bit of Saints heart & soul will more than suffice.

 

[Fred]

Karnaby
The main reason I haven't seen a game is that I live too far away (3 hours from colonial) and due to work just can't get there.
Where is Joondalup? I lived in Coolgardie from 1977 for 5 years. Couldn't even get radio coverage and internet hadn't been invented then.
The only drawback to only watching games on TV is that when my father occasionally go to the local game, I automatically expect a replay. Got to learn to pay more attention. Incidentally, Ken Sheldon is coach here.
Really looking forward to kick-off.
Cheers

 

[StrengthThroughLoyalty]

It seems that the 2nd draft will be another dud affair, I think last years lasted 13 minutes. Brett Voss will be the only player out of that draft who will play more than 1/2 the seniors games next year, bar injury.
Sainter mentioned a player who may be as good as any of the new recruits next year, and that is Cripps. A hard running half back as tough as nails, who will rotate through the midfield.
We should all cross our fingers and hope that Cripper has overcome his injuries. He won't win any games off his own boot but he is the type of hard, tough, give all, type of player that every team needs.

 

[Savatage]

If you want to be really pedantic you could say that Crippa can turn a game off his own boot. Rnd 1 vs Geelong 1998. Absolutely dominated, Harvey injured early & Cripps completely destroyed the cats that day. 3 games later we havent seen him at all.

Huge Crippa fan.

 

[sainter]

I'm inclined to agree with Karnaby. Leaving two spots vacant on the list does seem a little strange. Hopefully we will pick up at least one player in the pre-season draft. Jimmy Plunkett is that player you were thinking of from the Bulldogs too. He will definitely go in the rookie draft if not chosen in the pre-season draft.

And who knows? James Gowans might very well be a wild card with Central Districts coach Peter Jonas joining the club.

StrengthThroughLoyalty,

There is nothing I want to see more than Crippa dashing out of defence. Let's hope his good pre-season form continues on into the season.

Fred,

If you do manage to get down to Melbourne for a game next year, the difference between Waverley and Colonial Stadium is unbelievable. Hope you can get down for a game or two next year.

Savatage,

Do you know if our two selections in the rookie draft will be in the first two rounds or will they beginning in the third round because we have retained two players on the rookie list?

Hopefully we still have the important number 1 pick.

Incidently, has anyone been to the saints homepage yesterday or today. The pic of Sean Charles is a bit of a laugh. Obviously admin didn't have a close look at it before they posted it.

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Fortius Quo Fidelius

 

[Savatage]

Elephantitis is not anything to laugh at Sainter! hehe.....

umm.....mate as far as I'm concerned we will have first pick of the rookie draft & 1st pick of the second round.

In regards to drafting players pre-season, I am still more of the thinking that B Voss will be the only player selected...but hey we won't know till draft day.

 

[sainter]

Very true Savatage

Back to the team list, many of us in the past have complained that the lists are getting too small. And now our club is considering going into a season with two players less than what is allowed.

Seems a little strange to me.

I do understand why you (and quite possibly the club) think it is a good idea. Karnaby outlined the reasons why the club would be considering it.

If we do have the two vacant spots, let's hope either one or both of Wittison make the most of their opportunity to push for a place on the senior list.


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Fortius Quo Fidelius

 

[karnaby]

Fred
I bet if you tried hard you could get to a couple of games this year, & really improve your record.

Interesting to hear about Sheldon, he comes from up that way doesn't he? I seem to recall Graham Arthur used to coach up there many years ago as well.
I've driven through Coolgardie a dozen or so times, but it's always been on the way there or back so I've not stopped. I'm vaguely interested in prospecting and am aware of the history of the area. Five years in the late 70's must seem like history to you I guess. I gather a spell like that was work related too.
Joondalup is a newish City in the northern parts of Perth. I'm lucky enough to live near the coast which is pretty good. Climate and lifestyle are both good here, but there are many times I wonder about coming back. Long negotiations with the missus required before that ever happens tho

Savatage
I see by your comments about Tony Brown elsewhere that my suggestion, above, may have made you choke, humble apologies

as I wrote, I was pulling suggestions out of my ......

Does anyone know about potential rookies that the club might have had training? The club's website talks about a main training group, does that mean there may have been some secondary group? At the afl home page they have links to a story about rookie hopefuls training at richmond, surely we must have had some similar arrangement. While I can accept the possibility of not filling the senior list we've still got two rookie spots to fill and we must have been assessing hopefuls somehow, any hints?
Cheers

 

[sainter]

Karnaby,

My understanding is that the only players training with the club are the senior list players and the two rookies.

While it seems a little strange, there is no doubt that John Beveridge has had an eye on quite a few players during the season. As long as they are keeping fit by doing a pre-season with another club, we should pick up two quality youngsters. We haven't done too badly in choosing our supplementary and rookie listed players in the past few years.

I'm sure Savatage might have a few ideas about which youngsters will be the most highly sought after in the rookie draft.

By the way, I don't think your idea about redrafting Brownie on a substantially reduced contract is too bad an idea. While I doubt that it would eventuate, it may be the kick in the pants and wake up call that he needed to revive his career.

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Fortius Quo Fidelius